Though the ghosts of Penguins past may forever remain at hallowed halls of The Igloo (at least until Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority render a decision on the building’s fate) , the brand new Consol Energy Center offers a clean slate for current Pittsburgh Penguins to make their own memories and write their own legacy. The inaugural season at the area should feature a talent laden team, but this is just one of several amenities modern day Penguins fans will enjoy that have been previously unavailable to home crowds.First and foremost will be a technological upgrade that will make for a much more interactive home ice, taking Pittsburgh hockey from its 1960′s roots into present day possibilities. Younger fans will enjoy testing their virtual hockey skills on Nintendo Wii stations, taking slap shots on a replica of the famous dryer (as in washer and dryer) that helped Sidney Crosby hone his skills or perusing a wide array of other recreational and educational hockey-related activities that comprise the Highmark Kid’s Zone. The Highmark Wall of Champions is situated adjacent to the Kid’s Zone, celebrating the Penguin’s commitment to developing the game of hockey in the Pittsburgh area by recognizing the achievement of Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League teams, prominently displaying each victorious school’s championship-winning jersey.Fans will enjoy more subtle pleasures as well, such as the widened seats and increased legroom, affording the most comfortable spectator experience in the NHL, and while it may seem basic, the new arena will be much more navigable, featuring 12 escalators as opposed to the measly 2 that served The Igloo. From an aesthetic perspective, fans should expect all the bells and whistles that have become hallmarks of new age arenas, including seemingly innumerable LED HD TVs, 236 loge box seats, fine dining options, a spacious team store, a state of the art center ice scoreboard and 4 conference centers making it possible to mix business with hockey euphoria. All of this is quite literally topped off with a skyward brew pub on the upper concourse, providing a picturesque view of the scenic Pittsburgh skyline.While the new home of Pittsburgh hockey takes the Penguins into a new era, players will notice it pays homage to the stadium of old. When the Penguins lace up their skates before taking the ice, they will do so beneath the domed roof of their new oval office, as the home locker room was designed based on the distinctively rounded appearance of The Igloo, no longer in use but not forgotten.